Play with Your Dog – Strengthen Your Relationship!
Why play is important for your dog
Playful tug-and-war, a wrestling match, a fun game of chase or complete craziness. Play between a dog and a human can take many forms. Regardless of how it is expressed, it is a crucial piece in the puzzle that is life with a dog. But what is so important about it and how should one approach play?
How domestication affects dog play
Dogs play throughout their entire lives. Wolves, on the other hand, do not. The scientific explanation is that during the domestication process, humans selected wolves that displayed puppy-like behaviors even in adulthood. They were more manageable, curious, seeking more contact, and easier to socialize. Taming and manageability are complex behavioral systems. But in simple terms, we can say that the selection created a playful ancestral dog with a twinkle in its eye throughout life. This playful heritage from the domestication process has a tremendously significant impact on a dog's language and relationship development. There is nothing as beneficial for the relationship with our dogs as playing with them.
Find your inner child again with the dog
For children, play comes natural. However, sometimes it gets lost along the way to adulthood. Dog training can be filled with seriousness instead of lightness, and this can affect dogs. Playfulness and lightheartedness are crucial for the relationship between you and your dog. So cherish your inner child, don't lose your desire to play. It rubs off on your dog and creates a strong bond.
Engage in play anywhere
Immerse yourself in play. In your living room, in the yard, anywhere you like. Lock eyes mischievously with your dog and exclaim, "Let's go!" and throw yourself into a play bow, find an object, act as if you were Gollum and had found the ring. What happens to your dog? Glance at your dog's response and adapt your body language. Make your dog laugh. Give and take. Let play become as obvious as cuddling, walking, and feeding.
Play as the sealant of relationships
Playing, goofing around, and joking with your dog are like building blocks for the relationship. Dare to give and take without any ego. Letting loose is beneficial! It doesn't have to be combined with training; it can be spontaneous, without any demands. If you succeed in making your dog "laugh" a few times a week, the training results will automatically improve. "The willingness to please" is not a typical breed characteristic, nor is it something the domestication process has given us. It is something we create together and something that arises through play.
Finding balance in play with your dog
Engage wholeheartedly, sneak up on your dog, chase them, wrestle, nibble on their front legs with your hands... If it gets out of hand and your dog gets rough, make a yelping sound, and your dog will wait for further play bows from you before continuing. Incorporate relaxation by letting your dog's calmness become the starting point for a new game. This way, an overly excited dog will find balance during play sessions. A well-functioning dog language can help in the game, learn more about this in Dog language - learn to interpret and speak dog language.
Experience loving hunting with your dog
Be the rabbit! Let yourself be chased, pulled, and pounced on. Be sure that when you have chased, bumped, and kindly growled at your dog during play, you also offer the opposite. Shout, "Heeeelp!" and run away or pretend to be scared and climb onto a chair or stump. Keep running, then pretend to fall and accept the loving attack that awaits. Play will do wonders for your relationship and "leadership," if you prefer to call it that. It does not have the opposite effect that some may believe. So give it your all! Your dog will love you even more for it.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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